Garden of the Heart

Some people love to dig in the dirt; they are also the ones who enjoy beautiful flowers as a result. I'm very thankful for those who commit to the digging and everything else needs to produce the beautiful blooms. I, however, do not care to the dirt and sweat required. Paul writes, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (1 Corinthians 13:5 ESV). The process of examination and testing can be terribly messy and uncomfortable. Past generations modeled for us "spring cleaning" - a time of deeper cleaning than usual: furniture is moved, area rugs are taken outside, curtains are laundered, etc. The tedious and hard work is meant to produce a fine cleaning where we live the rest of the year. "Do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?" The Holy One of Heaven - perfect and righteous and just in all His ways - makes His home in the hearts of His children. How shameful when we present to Him a place filled with unconfessed sin and sinful habits. First Thessalonians 5:21 instructs followers of Jesus Christ to "hold fast what is good" so the God of peace Himself sanctify our whole spirit and soul and body and keep us blameless until Christ returns. A spiritually clean and blameless heart demands a daily cleaning - once a year doesn't do it. Like a well-tended and flourishing flower bed, the beauty of Christ is put on display in the ... garden of the heart.

How Lovely!

Being with a particular someone is a treasured part of life; actually, just being near that particular someone can be precious! The writer of Psalm 84 writes, "How lovely are Your dwelling places, O LORD of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD" (Psalm 84:1-2a, NASB). Geographic locations can distance family and friends; God and man are distanced, however, by different means. The Jewish people eagerly made pilgrimage to Jerusalem each year where the temple was located - the place that represented God's Presence, His dwelling place. How marvelous we no longer need seek God's Presence in a particular place; we draw near His Presence by means of the redemptive and finished work of Jesus Christ, God's Son! "How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion!" (V.5, NASB). An undivided heart, one that adores and sings of its Redeemer and He Who dwells therein. Oh, yes, Lord ... how lovely is Your dwelling place!

Hear Him

How well do you listen? Since Mister Bill is hearing impaired, repeating myself is part of an ordinary day. I admit it is frustrating, however, I try to be patient because his not-hearing isn't by choice ... at least most of the time. How well do you hear God? The Prophet Elijah stood with deliberation, listening for God: "And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper." (1 Kings 19:11-12 ESV). Isn't it just like us to expect phenomenal things like wind, earthquake and fire to hear from God? It is often, however, in a faint whisper. At this point in my life, my hearing is still pretty good but even without actually hearing Mister Bill, I usually know what he will say or has said. Why is that? Because I've lived with him for more than fifty years; we've spent time together; we've grown to know one another; we're intimately acquainted with one another's thoughts and ways. Let me suggest if you are not hearing the faint whisper of God in your life, it most likely is because you are not regularly reading His Word, enjoying fellowship with Him in prayer and worship. Those who make a habit of spending time with The Father hear His voice. Yes, He can speak in the winds-earthquakes-fires of life but those times may simply be His way of getting your attention - making His Presence known. Those who are in relationship with Jesus (The Son) will know God (The Father); they hear Him continually in a myriad of times, circumstances, situations and ways. Draw near to Him ... hear Him. 

Love His Word

Family reunions were a big part of my childhood - the annual gathering of brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins ... and oh, of course, the food! After the initial greetings - many of which was sheer endurance - us cousins ran off to see what we could get into. The Book of Nehemiah tells of a long-awaited family gathering: after seventy years of Babylonian captivity, once back in their homeland "all the people gathered together as one man at the open square ... and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the LORD had given to Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding ... then he read from it ... from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and women, those who could understand; and all the people listened carefully to the Book of the Law." (From Nehemiah 8:1-3 AMP). From early morning to mid-day, the people listened to the reading of God's words. Recent studies tell us the average adult sustained attention span is 15-20 minutes before needing a break; however, on topics of high-interest, the attention span is significantly increased. The psalmist wrote, "Oh how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day." (Psalm 119:97 ESV). Herein lies a fundamental problem: we lack a deep longing for what God has to say, and why is that so? That lack-of-love for God's words is rooted in a genuine lack-of-love for God Himself. Jesus said the heart remains true to its greatest treasure: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21 ESV). What a strong reminder to those who love The Lord with all their heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:5) - that God's words are a treasure to read, listen to and embrace. Those words are the very breath of God; yes, they are life-giving. The simple profound truth is if we truly love God, we ... love His Word.

He Goes Before Us

Something my Dad made a habit of was to speak kindly of people. I must admit, at times when he spoke well of one who had offended him, I could only stare and be amazed. That is an honorable characteristic that I am still working on! Of the many things we know about God, one that I see often in my life (and others) is how God always goes before us! I could not begin to number the times I have faced uncertainty, stepped out in a walk of faith only to discover God was way out in front of me! Perhaps one of the best illustrations of this is in the life of Joseph. The victim of some cruel brothers, he suffered slavery and years of imprisonment in Egypt yet in-the-end God worked evil for good. Appointed governor over Egypt, God used Joseph to save his family and countrymen during a terrible famine. These were some of the last recorded words of Joseph to his brothers: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present outcome that many people would be kept alive." (Genesis 50:20 AMP). What spiritual understanding this man Joseph had of God's sovereignty and providence! When we wake each morning, we have no idea what lies before us - the opportunities to simply trust God in each hour. The tendency is to orchestrate our lives in such a way that we often "think" we take it right out of the hands of The One Who goes before us. The way is indeed rough and rugged at times but when we trust God - as He goes before us - we need not overwork ourselves in worry and doubt. Oh my, how Joseph must have wondered what God was doing as he sat in that cold dark prison but he did not faint nor grow weary; he trust in The One Who is worthy of our trust. Let us never forget ... He goes before us!